Fact Sheet: Heat Island and Smog Reduction act of 2011, bill H.R.51

What is the issue?

• The Heat Island Effect and smog are affecting areas around Federal facilities.

What is a Heat Island?

• Heat islands are areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas, resulting from greenhouse gas emissions.

Heat Islands cause:

• Increased summertime peak energy demand 
• Increased air conditioning costs
• air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
• Heat-related illness and mortality
• Poor water quality 

What is being done to fix this?

• There is a bill proposed called the Heat Island and Smog Reduction act of 2011, bill H.R.51. 
• This act requires each federal agency, by April 1, 2012, to develop a heat island reduction plan for all federal property and facilities under its possession or control that are located in an area designated under the Clean Air Act as being in nonattainment with national ambient air quality standards for ozone.

The act requires each plan to include measures to:

• Maximize tree cover on federal property
• Increase solar reflectivity through techniques such as roofs with solar reflectivity
• Vegetated roofs
• Paving materials with higher solar reflectivity. Requires the Administrator of the General Services to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees assessing agency progress in developing and implementing such plans.

The bill passing will lead to:

• Reduction of energy demand
• Lower air conditioning costs 
• Less air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions 
• Fewer heat-related illness and mortality
• Better water quality

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

The first thing that came to mind when hearing about this assignment was my house.  As I am sure is true in most college houses, my house is filled with hand-me-downs, garage sale furniture, and things found off the side of the road.  As I started taking pictures I was thinking about what I would say in this post.  I realized there is a story behind each and every piece of furniture in my house, everything has character and adds a little something to the lives that are lived here, and we did it all for really cheap.

These two chairs are in the "formal sitting room" in my house.  They were found at a garage sale for $3 a piece.  These chairs are rarely used for sitting and often used for holding our junk.  If you're missing your keys at my house they're probably under the cushion of one of these chairs.  The table in between the chairs was left to us by the previous renters of our house and the lamp was given to us by the sister of one of my roommates.

This couch has had an interesting life.  It's previous home was the house next door.  I don't know how long it was there previously to my friends living there, but their landlord told them they could have it.  Three years ago when I moved into my house, my friend, who had previously lived next door, moved in and brought this couch with her.  She lived with us for a year before graduating and getting married, leaving this beautiful floral couch.  Three years ago I believe there were no tears in fabric and that the middle cushion was covered.  After being loved by everyone who has lived here, and our friends, the couch has developed a lot of character, as you can see.


My desk and holding place for a lot of junk was found on the side of the road.  With the help of a friend I loaded it in my car and the rest is history.

The chair at my desk is a set of four that were left at my house from previous renters.  Two of the chairs reside in the formal sitting room, and the other two are used by another roommate and myself for our desk chairs.

My dresser, like my desk, was found on the side of the road.  At first I wasn't sure if I would keep it, but I was in desperate need of a dresser and wasn't having much luck finding anything I liked. The day I painted this dresser started out as a really boring Sunday, and turned into a day that my roommate and I will never forget, and neither will all of the random stuff around our house that we painted blue and black that day.

This table was found at a garage sale for $5.  It sits in front of our beloved floral couch and acts as an over-sized junk drawer.  No matter how many times we clean it out, it still manages to turn into the go-to place to stash things when we're just doing quick clean-ups around the house.  Looking for cards or crayons?  Find them here.



The last three pictures are the TV stand, TV, and speakers in the living room at my house.  The TV stand was found at a garage sale for $5.  The TV was found while an old roommates boyfriend was volunteering at some store like Good Will in his home town.  They test all the electronics and don't sell them if they don't work.  The TV's sound didn't work so they weren't going to try to sell it, he asked if he could buy it for cheap and ended up getting it for free, thinking maybe another one of our roommates could fix it.  This leads me to the speakers, which are another thing that were left by previous renters.  My handy-man roommate hooked them up to the TV and tada, working TV!

It is funny to look around at the things that I see every day and think of where they come from.  I have lived in this house for three years, we started out having very little furniture; a couch and an end table in our living room, and a few random table chairs in our dining room.  Slowly but surely we have furnished our house into a home, probably all for under $30.  Through this Eye Opener I have realized that all the Ikea online-shopping (okay, dreaming) I do won't really be necessary when I get my own place after graduation.  As long as I stay as thrifty and resourceful as I have been in college, I will be able to furnish any place I live for cheap. 

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

http://www.epa.gov/heatisld/mitigation/statelocal_activities.htm

The problem is that there are heat island effects and large amounts of smog in the areas around Federal facilities. Heat islands are areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. There is a bill proposed called the Heat Island and Smog Reduction act of 2011, bill H.R.51. This act requires each federal agency, by April 1, 2012, to develop a heat island reduction plan for all federal property and facilities under its possession or control that are located in an area designated under the Clean Air Act as being in nonattainment with national ambient air quality standards for ozone. Requires each plan to include measures to maximize tree cover on federal property, increase solar reflectivity through techniques such as roofs with solar reflectivity, vegetated roofs, and paving materials with higher solar reflectivity. Requires the Administrator of the General Services to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees assessing agency progress in developing and implementing such plans.

This bill is focusing on the heat island effect that is surrounding Federal facilities. The people living in the surrounding areas are the people that are mainly affected by the heat islands in this area, but the heat island effect is happening in many cities. Since the heat island effect means that the temperature is going up, there is an increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality. The people affected the most are those living in the communities. Older people will be affected the most because they usually do not have very much money. People that don’t have money probably don’t have air conditioners, and older adult bodies do not adapt to heat well, resulting in heat related deaths. The people losing are those living in the communities. They are losing money because they have to pay more for air conditioning. The people that live in these areas are also getting sick, so they are losing their health. When there are more emissions of toxic chemicals in the air people are breathing them in, getting sick. No one really gains anything by not doing anything about the heat islands. They just do not have to spend the initial money of getting green roofs, cool pavement, urban forests, and other things that will help reduce the urban heat. Right now doing these things is a voluntary act but this is the first of probably many bills that will require areas to become greener.

The consequences of this issue will be good for all. Yes, there will be money that needs to be spent to become greener, but every one that works or lives or visits the effected areas will be breathing and living more comfortably. The people that are most effected will become healthier and be saving money. The costs of this issue are going to be getting the green roofs and cool pavement, and stuff that is going to lower the heat of the area. The people who own the properties are going to have to bear these costs, but they will pay off in the long run. Right now the costs of this issue are lying in the hands of the people living and owning businesses in the communities. They are spending a lot of money on air conditioning and refrigeration. Once the initial costs of making the buildings green are paid the whole community will be able to recognize their bills going down. This will probably help boost the whole economy of the community. The democrats are probably going to be the ones to vote yes for this bill. For this specific bill it will be the ones in the D.C. community, but in every community that decides that they want to implement similar bills that is who would vote yes.  People that vote against the bill are those that do not get directly impacted by the heat islands.  They are the ones that aren't sitting in their houses with no air conditioning and developing asthma based on the amount of chemicals being released into the air.

I think that this bill should be passed.  Reducing heat islands and smog will be good for the health and overall wellbeing of the people in the communities effected.

Resources:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d112&querybd=@FIELD(FLD001+@4(Air+quality))
http://www.epa.gov/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island

Share & Voice: Green Cleaning

For my Read 'n' Seed I read, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. One of the chapters, "Simple Green Housekeeping", gave a list of DIY recipes for household cleaning tasks.  I have not had a chance to try any of them yet but really want to, they seem simple and like they would save money!

Below are just a few of the recipes that I can see myself using in the near future, but the book gives a few more.  The book also gives a website for more DIY ideas, www.womenandenvironment.org/greenclean/faqs.  I also suggest visiting the author's website, GreenerPenny.com.  There are a lot of great money saving, eco friendly, tips.


Soft Scrub

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1/2 cup liquid plant-based soap (the book suggests Dr. Bronner's castile)
• 3-4 drops vegetable oil

Mix and add water to desired consistency; store in lidded jar.

Fume-Free Oven Cleaner

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid plant-based soap
• Water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Do a preliminary wipe down of the oven with a scrubber, rag, and hot water to remove crust that hasn't yet stuck solid.  Mix all the ingredients into a thick paste.  Wearing gloves, apply thickly to oven interior.  Leave on overnight.  In the morning, put gloves back on and rinse and scrub with sponge or rag.

Glass Cleaner

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 drops liquid plant-based soap

Mix in spray bottle.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide

Sprinkle the sides of the bowl with baking soda.  Spray the vinegar until it lightly fizzes.  Wait thirty minutes, then scrub.  For a stronger disinfectant on the rim, lid, and seat wipe with hydrogen peroxide.

Drain Cleaner

• Baking Soda
• White vinegar
• Boiling water

To keep your drain open, pour in equal parts baking soda and white vinegar, followed by the water, once a week.  If the drain still clogs, use a plunger or plumber's snake to lift out whatever is stuck.

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Objective: Outdoor Air Quality
Poor air quality is linked to premature death, cancer, and long-term damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Progress has been made to reduce unhealthy air emissions, but, in 2008, approximately 127 million people lived in U.S. counties that exceeded national air quality standards. Decreasing air pollution is an important step in creating a healthy environment.

H.R.51 Heat Island and Smog Reduction Act of 2011 (Introduced in House)

Title: To reduce the heat island effect and associated ground level ozone pollution from Federal facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major action: None

Recommendation: Vote Yes for Heat Island and Smog Reduction Act of 2011

My Political Representative: Chip Cravaack

Share and Voice: Actually Experiencing Nature

A few weeks ago in class we went did an activity outside where we laid on the ground and Dr. V. talked us through connecting with nature, listening and feeling the world around us.  After the activity we discussed how we are very connected to our computer and cell phones, and we need to take the time to disconnect and just be in nature.

I have always thought of myself as pretty in touch with nature.  I love hiking, being at the beach, and just being outside.  I did not realize how connected I really am until the discussion we had in class.  I took the picture to the left a few days after that discussion.  I was running in Bagley and realized that while I was running on this beautiful trail I was holding my phone, which was allowing me to listen to music, check my voice mails, take pictures, and attempt to text my brother back just as I tripped over a root that was sticking out in the middle of the trail.  After the initial shock of the fact that I had just fallen flat on my face I thought "what am I doing?!".  This picture does not do justice to how pretty Bagley gets in the fall, and I was paying more attention to everything else than to the beauty of nature right in front of my face.

I go on a run or a hike almost every day; not only in Bagley, but on the other trails around Duluth too.  I have been leaving my phone at home and really appreciating nature.  It is so refreshing to listen to the wind and sounds around me, as cheesy as that sounds.  Leaving my phone at home also gives me that hour of time to just think, or to not think at all.  I have felt a lot more calm in my every day life since I started leaving my phone at home to run or hike.  I definitely noticed the feeling of calm at the time but have just in the past couple days started realizing how much more all around calm I am in my every day life.  Try disconnecting for just an hour every day to enjoy nature, breath in the fresh air, and I bet you too will start to feel a greater sense of calm.

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

Assignment: Find your political representatives: president, congresspersons (senate & house), governor, state legislators (senate & house). List their names and political affiliation. Provide their contact information with a link to their websites.

I found who my representatives were by visiting http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/ and typing in my zip code.

President
Barack Obama
You can write the president at:
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
They ask that you please include your e-mail address

Phone numbers:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

United States House
Chip Cravaack
Washington, DC Office
508 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6211
Fax: (202) 225-0699
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30AM-6:30PM Eastern Time

United States Senate
Amy Klobuchar
Washington, DC Office
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186

Minnesota Governor
Mark Dayton
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Telephone: 651-201-3400

Minnesota House Legislature
Mary Murphy

343 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-2676

Minnesota Senate Legislature
Thomas M. Bakk
Capitol Office:
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
 State Office Building, Room 147
 St. Paul, MN 55155-1206
 651-296-8881